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8 Apr 2010 : Column 1536W—continued
Departmental ICT
Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the monetary value was of payments made by his Department to external IT contractors in each of the last five years. [320882]
Mr. Woolas: The total monetary value of payments made by the Home Department to external IT contractors for each of the financial years 2005-06 to 2008-09 was as follows:
| Payments made to IT suppliers: Home Department including UKBA | |
| Financial year | £ million |
| Note: Following their incorporation into the Ministry of Justice in May 2007, the National Offenders Management Service (NOMS) and Office of Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) continued to share the Home Office accounting system until October 2008. Figures to October 2008 include payments by NOMS and OCJR as they could be excluded only at disproportionate cost. | |
The payment figures to October 2008 include expenditure by the National Offenders Management Service and the Office of Criminal Justice Reform, both of which are now incorporated into the Ministry of Justice.
Because of in-year changes to the Department's accounting systems, payment information for the financial year 2004-05 could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
The 2008-09 figure represents just under 20 per cent. of spend on goods and services by the Home Office and UKBA and reflects the significant technology enabling initiatives undertaken to protect our borders and counter terrorism.
The Department awards contracts in competition according to the EU procurement directives based on value for money.
Domestic Violence: Immigrants
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the pilot project for women with no recourse to public funds will be extended beyond August 2010; and whether he plans to make that initiative permanent. [325865]
Mr. Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Drugs: Misuse
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which substances commonly considered to be legal highs are under review by his Department; [325702]
(2) when officials in his Department were first made aware of the risks arising from the use of mephedrone as a drug; [325703]
(3) if he will consider bringing forward proposals to include (a) methylone and (b) butylone within the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [325704]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Pursuant to the previous Home Secretary's commission of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide advice on so called "legal highs" in March 2009 and following its advice on synthetic cannabinoids, and cathinone derivatives, the ACMD are now considering its next priority area from a range that includes but is not limited to plants such as Kava kava and Salvia divinorum, solvents and gases, miscellaneous stimulants and hallucinogens, and fungi.
Home Office officials first became aware of the use of mephedrone as a drug following unconfirmed presentations to Accident and Emergency units during the Isle of Wight music festival in late July 2009.
The draft order to control mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives currently before Parliament will enshrine in law a generic definition encompassing a wide range of cathinone derivatives, including methylone and butylone.
Human Trafficking
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many judicial reviews of decisions made by the competent authority in relation to human trafficking cases were (a) initiated and (b) completed between 1 April 2009 and 28 February 2010. [325892]
Mr. Alan Campbell: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Identity Cards: Cheshire
Mr. Timpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for identity cards his Department has received from residents of postcode area (a) CW1 3, (b) CW1 4, (c) CW3 0, (d) CW3 9, (e) CW5 6, (f) CW5 8, (g) CW11 4, (h) ST7 2, (i) CW1 2, (j) CW2 6, (k) CW2 7, (l) CW5 7, (m) CW5 5, (n) CW2 8, (o) CW1 5, (p) CW2 5 and (q) CW1 6 since 1 January 2010. [325179]
Mr. Woolas [holding answer 30 March 2010]: The Identity and Passport Service is not able to provide a breakdown of applications received to this level of postcode detail without contravening data protection principles.
Illegal Immigrants: Employment
Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates his Department monitored each UK fishing port to assess whether employees were working illegally in the last 12 months; and what the results of such monitoring were. [325893]
Mr. Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Immigrants: Detainees
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people held in immigration removal centres (IRCs) pending removal from the country were transferred to another IRC before being removed in the last 12 months. [325854]
Mr. Woolas: The information requested could be obtained by undertaking a detailed examination of individual records which would be only at disproportionate cost.
Detainees are not routinely moved between centres without an operational reason. This is normally to ensure occupancy levels of the bed space is maximised, to re-position detainees close to airports in preparation for their removal from the UK, to attend court hearings, medical appointments or for an interview.
Independent Safeguarding Authority: Manpower
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of caseworkers employed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority to make barring decisions under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 do not have (a) a university degree, (b) any A-levels and (c) more than four GCSEs at A* to C grade. [307862]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 6 January 2010]: The Independent Safeguarding Authority recruits caseworkers based on competency based assessment which links to the skills and experience they can bring to the post rather than academic qualifications. However, the breakdown of the percentages of Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) caseworker qualifications (Levels 3-6) is as follows:
( a) Staff with degrees = 28 per cent.
( b) Staff with A levels = 49 per cent.
(c) Staff with four GCE/GCSE's grade A* to C or above = 70 per cent.
Casework Officers, Decision Makers, Team Managers and Unit Heads undertake the UCAPD-Professional Decision Making in the ISA. This programme is accredited by Teesside University and awards individuals 60 credits/units of an academic qualification.
Mephedrone
Mr. Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what representations he has received on the banning of mephedrone in the UK; [320113]
(2) if he will introduce proposals to ban the sale of mephedrone in the UK. [320114]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Following receipt of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs advice on 29 March 2010, a draft order to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to control mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives as class B drugs is currently before Parliament for its approval. With Parliament's agreement, these drugs will be controlled on 16 April 2010.
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the classification of mephedrone under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if he will make a statement. [324848]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 29 March 2010]: The most recent representation received on the classification of mephedrone is the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the Government's independent expert body, on 29 March 2010. The ACMD's advice can be accessed at:
On the recommendation of the ACMD that mephedrone and other cathinone derivatives should be brought under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as Class B drugs, a draft Order to amend the 1971 Act is currently before Parliament for its approval. With Parliament's agreement, these drugs will be controlled on 16 April 2010.
Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to bring forward proposals to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to provide for (a) nurse independent prescribers and (b) pharmacist independent prescribers to prescribe more controlled drugs; and if he will make a statement. [321939]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government plan to amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (as amended) when Parliament returns in order to expand the range of controlled drugs that can be prescribed independently by Nurse Independent Prescribers and to enable Pharmacist Independent Prescribers to independently prescribe controlled drugs.
Operation Greenfly
James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) Operation Greenfly and (b) Operation Calais. [325585]
Mr. Alan Campbell: These operations, like other operational matters in the force area, are the responsibility of the chief constable of Essex police, with whom questions about their effectiveness should be taken up.
Police: Greater Manchester
Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the policing pledge in Greater Manchester. [325852]
Mr. Hanson [holding answer 7 April 2010]: It is for individual police forces and authorities to ensure delivery of the Policing Pledge in their area. The Government will hold forces to account for progress through the single top-down target we have set them to improve public confidence that the antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter locally are being tackled, and in the light of inspection work by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). In September 2009, 50 per cent. of the public were confident that antisocial behaviour and crime issues that matter in their area were being dealt with-an increase of 4 per cent. points in the last year.
In October 2009, HMIC published a report on the progress of all forces in delivering the Pledge and the report graded Greater Manchester police as 'fair'. Police authorities are now working with forces to ensure that the learning identified by HMIC is taken onboard and that the Policing Pledge is delivered consistently across their force area.
UK Border Agency: Correspondence
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the Assistant Director of the UK Border Agency did not reply to the hon. Member for Thurrock's letter of 23 September 2009 (re CTS Ref B34288/9 and Z1048050) until 26 March 2010; why her letter was not despatched until 29 March 2010; and if he will make a statement. [325844]
Mr. Woolas: The delay in responding to my hon. Friend's letter was due to an internal organisational re-structuring which impacted temporarily on work allocation and, as a result, certain items of work were not actioned within the appropriate time scales.
War Crimes
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2010, Official Report, columns 351-2W, on the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, what the country of origin is of those recommended for refusal/exclusion. [325859]
Mr. Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2010, Official Report, columns 351-52W, on the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, how many people whose cases the Border Agency referred to the Metropolitan Police are still in the UK. [325860]
Mr. Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2010, Official Report, columns 351-52W, on the UK Border Agency's War Crimes Unit, how many people the Border Agency recommended for refusal/exclusion are still in the UK. [325861]
Mr. Woolas: It has not proved possible to respond in the time available before Prorogation.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to question 324858, tabled on 23 March 2010, on Group 4 Securicor (G4S). [325871]
Mr. Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 6 April 2010, Official Report, column 1268W.
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he has not provided a substantive response to Question (a) 325183 on human trafficking and (b) 325031 on the European Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. [325891]
Mr. Alan Campbell: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answers of 7 April 2010, Official Report, column 1382W, and 6 April 2010, Official Report, column 1271W respectively.
Northern Ireland
Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Saville Inquiry has spent on IT consultants since its inception. [325508]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that it has spent approximately £2.2 million on information technology consultants to the end of February 2010.
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget is of the press office for the Saville Inquiry in the (a) current and (b) next financial year. [325509]
Mr. Woodward: I am advised by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that the Inquiry does not currently employ a press officer and there is no dedicated budget for press office facilities. Since November 2004, all press inquiries have been handled by the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to the Inquiry. An average total on-call allowance of £400 per month is paid to cover out-of-hours press inquiries.
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